Classic startup dilemma - when to ask for the umbrella?

There's an old saying that you should ask to borrow an umbrella when it is not raining because when it is indeed raining nobody will lend you one. Having started north of a dozen companies on 3 continents I can verify that this is true. My latest venture, WrapMail, is looking to raise some money and it is not raining so to speak. In this effort (which we yet have to put focus on as building the business takes just about all available time) I've come across some interesting responses:

Bank: If you deposit $1M with us in an escrow account (that you can't touch) then we would consider lending you $1M. Does this make sense to anyone? Assuming I have the million why do I need the bank for this exercise?

VC: Why don't you build the Sales Team and get to cash-flow positive and then we'll talk. Duh - this is exactly what we would use most of the funding for.

I have many times been on the other side of the table and I view it as one party has an idea and people to execute a part of the way, the investor has money. The risk is always high at these levels where there's zero liquidity in the investment so one tries to balance that risk looking at the validity of the idea, the potential, the team and the potential exit strategies (liquid event). Then, in my case, I jump or I don't.

There's always the old fashioned way of building the business with blood,sweat and ones own money (which I am doing currently), it is less dilutive and a great feeling when success is established. However, it is normally a slower process and being in the viral internet advertising space SPEED is Job 1.

I guess we plug on, the more no's we get means we get that much closer to a yes OR better yet success without sharing.

How to fix the US economy

Bureaucrats like to complicate things, I like them simple (which the former of course view as radical thinking).

1. Plan to drill for oil off shore (look to Norway for any environmental concerns)and start drilling asap (just look at oil prices after Bush said he wanted to get going on this!).
2. Plan new nuclear facilities
3. Enforce laws on the books that currently are being ignored such as:
a. Immigration
b. Naked short selling - this is a BIG one - this has been illegal since 1933 but still happens in massive volume every single day and is a huge burden on the stock market
4. Fix the tax-system, preferably eliminate income and corporate tax but at the very least change individual tax to a flat tax of no more than 15%
5. Change the mentality of government to find ways to earn money selling the public services they want or that someone is willing to pay for.

There once was a Swedish Business Leader who stated "when you sweep dirty stairs you start on top" and then he fired almost all his business leaders.

The US should be looked upon as the largest Corporation in the world and run as such focusing on profitability while at the same time taking care of both the employees and the stockholders (tax-payers). The thinking needs to change or this "Free" society will be outpaced by other continents and the "Empire" will indeed crumble.

Innovation is the mother of capitalism and as such needs to be sufficiently motivated and not, as today, be discouraged by red tape and bureaucracy. Intellectual property creates independence and that coupled with energy independence...now you got something.

maybe less attorneys and a few more entrepreneurs :-) would do the trick?